Page 14 - SAMENA Trends - June-July 2020

SAMENA COUNCIL ACTIVITY SAMENA TRENDS

Insights from Fireside Chats
• Technology and Connectivity are vital to
sustainable development – everybody
needs to be part of this development
• This development needs to be
environmentally sustainable
• Addressing the gaps are fundamental
and key to sustainable development and
sustainable digital transformation
• We cannot really talk about digital
transformation of digital economies until
and unless all people have the tools to
connect to the digital world
• The ultimate question is: What can this
great industry do for the less fortunate?
• “Universal Digital Access” should be SDG
18
• Need universal approach – provide
connectivity as a public service
• Asia-Pacific is doing the best – China and
Korea are prime examples
• As we enter into the AI, IoT and 5G world,
a key challenge for the countries is to
mainstream these frontier technologies
to unleash their promise in each sector
and as we move toward a hyperconnected
world, data driven development is very
important
• Need to align investment plans with
Private Sector then have Public Sector
build
• Demand side needs to be stimulated
• Covid-19 has led to an acceleration of
Digital Transformation
- 70% growth in Internet Traffic
- 600% growth in use of online
collaborative tools
- 15-30% of Workforce and school kids
working from home
• The crisis highlights the digital divide and
thus Digital inclusion is key
• We need to look at what the governments
put on the table in terms of public financing
but also what the private sector is doing
when we look at digital investment and
spending in the sector
• Need cross-sectoral digital plans
• SMEs represent 99% of businesses – need
to help them to digitalize
• Verticals are key – fundamental change
required: a real change of organization
and enterprise culture is required
• We see branches of the global
economy experiencing different form of
digitalization that is expected to provide
efficiency, transparency, new business
models and products.
• Governments must think holistically to
role of Telecom Operators providing connectivity, and urged the Industry to recognize overcome infrastructure, developmental,
that not only do the industry players need to to directly help combat COVID, but to also and nation-building challenges
help mitigate its numerous hidden consequences, including dangers that lurk in the • One of the approaches in addressing
digital space for children and young people. financing gaps is to create enabling
conditions for the private sector to finance
as much as possible, focus the public
Heads of regulatory authorities recognized that despite its drastic impacts, the financing as a catalyst source of last
prevailing pandemic has played a significant role in accelerating the understanding resorts, and the public investment should
of the 4th Industrial Revolution, which requires 5G and allied technologies, such as focus on areas where there is not enough
artificial intelligence (AI) and their use be leveraged in in providing unconventional appetite for the private sector
solutions across all walks of human life and business activities.
14 JUNE-JULY 2020